Love is fattening for women, says a new study.
Researchers at the University of Queensland have carried out the study and found that marriage and babies might make women happy, but they can also pile on the kilos. The study, tracking the weight of 6458 Australian women over 10 years, found that childless women in their late 20s and 30s who were married or living with their partner put on more weight than single women, the media reported.
Add a baby to that equation and the weight goes up again, about 9.2 kg over a decade. The study found that the childless-but-living-with-a-man group gained so much, an average of seven kilos, while single women without kids put on the least 4.9 kg. “What we don’t know is why partnering is having an effect on women’s weight. But other research suggests that when couples live together, their eating habits often change to accommodate each other,” study leader Annette Dobson said. Added Prof. Wendy Brown: “It may also be that you make more of an effort with meals. You might have dessert as well as a main course, and you might drink more alcohol.”
Whatever the reason, Ms Dobson and Ms Brown want women to know that living with a partner and having a child can both be major triggers for weight gain.
Queenslander Helen Hobbs was a trim 23-year-old with a routine of walks or runs along the beach with the friends with whom she shared a house. But when she moved in with partner, James, four years ago, the change in her lifestyle soon changed her dress size.
“I gained six kg. The difference was that instead of going for walks after work, I’d sit around with James and we’d talk and have some red wine and and cheese,” she said.